


The  Center  of  Attention

by RimBoomGold



Category: Kuroko no Basket, Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Listen I only know so much about that era so I'll do my best, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-14
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-04-16 21:56:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14174217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RimBoomGold/pseuds/RimBoomGold
Summary: Context : the Roman EmpireKagami Taiga is a young man who has been captured from his village, Idacus, in ancient Rome,  and has been forced to fight as a gladiator in front of 50'000 people, in the Colosseum. The emperor in charge, Aomine Daiki, is the first one to notice the young man's fierce potential, and he decides to keep an interested eye on the gladiator.





	1. The most dangerous

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so I was scrolling through the hellsite that Tumblr is and suddenly I saw the light, an amazing fanart of dat boi Kagami as a gladiator and that other boi Aomine as the emperor. Someone suggested that it should be a fanfic and I agreed, so here's the result. Enjoy and share if you like!  
> (Link to the fanart : http://una-tal-dashi.tumblr.com/post/171132683631/so-can-we-talk-about-roman-au )  
> Thanks to una-tal-dashi for the inspiration!

Out of all the factors that could have interrupted Kagami's sleep, such as the rising heat of the summer morning, the distant noise of the inner city or the hardness of the ground he had been forced to lie on, the nightmare he was having was the one that eventually woke him up. After a short period of time, during which his eyes got accustomed to the contrast between the dark wooden cage he was held captive in and the sunlight coming through the holes between the planks, he finally found the strength to lift his upper body and to sit in order to get into a more comfortable position. 

" You are finally awake. Are you alright?"

The question had come from another hostage sitting next to him, a man who, at sight, seemed to be slightly too young for the deep voice Kagami had heard. It was only when he took a look at the boy's whole small and slim figure that he realized he was wearing shackles around the wrists and the ankles, realization that gave him the scary feeling that himself was wearing those as well before he even turned his gaze back to own limbs to check.

"No, not really, he admitted, where the hell are we?

He didn't mean to sound rude to a stranger, but the thirst, the exhaustion and most of all the growing anxiety that have almost physically burdended his body since he had been captured in his hometown had instinctively forced him to stay focused on remaining safe and sound, making him neglect formalities. The young man next to him, who seemed more collected and peaceful when it came to his, or rather their fate, answered with an even quieter tone than before.

"I think we're in the center of Rome, the capital city. From what I've been able to hear when we were brought here, the central governement may have decided to capture young men from different towns....and make us either slaves or fighters.

Kagami remained in a quiet state of shock while the words "slaves" and "fighters" echoed in his head without him being able to truly evaluate how critical their meanings were. After a long silence that drove him mad, the need to connect with the last person he might see in the life the Gods had granted him grew stronger.

" ...What about you, where you're from?

\- My hometown is Sadiava, in a small area near the sea far away from here, he answered as his clear eyes became a little brighter from the memory of his village, My father's patronyme is Kuroko. And you, where do you come from?

\- Idacus, the taller man whose pride could be heard in his voice answered, land of the brave and the Gods-fearing. Name's Kagami."

Unfortunately, the sound of the guards chatting and laughing on the other side of the small wooden door reminded the hostages that they were not alone in the area. The anxiety that had disappeard for a short moment came back, even more overwhelming than before.

"So, I guess we're in the Colosseum, huh... it's funny, when I was a young boy, I used to train sword fighting a lot with my dad, and he would always tell me stories about the fights that took place here, in Rome...Kagami said with the stern expression of a man clinging to a distant memory, " he was always telling me that the most dangerous opponent is not the one who can kill you with his sword...

\- But who could it be then? Answered Kuroko with a sincere interest in the story

-... I forgot. It's weird, I feel like I've heard that sentence right before I woke up from that nightmare. But the only thing I remember from it is an inhuman, almost beast-like figure..."

He would've have had mistaken the sound of the crowd outside that had started cheering for a roar of the beast he had in mind if it wasn't for Kuroko announcing "It has begun" with a raspier voice, a voice that betrayed a feeling that Kagami thought he was the only one to have : the fear of a potential death.

\---------------------------------------

 

A lot of the citizens, even the most educated ones, were often oblivious to the different aspects of "power" and responsability when it came to the role, if we could dare call it that way, of an emperor. Fathers would raise their sons to aspire to the emperor's strength and wisdom, without realizing the amount of blood they would have to see on their way. Ladies would dream of seeing themsleves next to a symbol so powerful ; they would tell young girls that the emperor was the epitome of virility and the ideal type of masculinity to look for in a man, without being aware of the misery a power-drunk and out-of-reality paranoiac man would bring in their daughters' life. The public would applaud the senators' solidarity and loyalty to the emperor, without even suspecting that each one of them, depending on who, could go from despising the leader to plotting his murder out of visceral hatred or, more commonly, out of envy. 

The day he had been elected for life, The young emperor Aomine Daiki already knew for quite a long time the real signification of power, how to obtain it, how to use it, and how to make people respect it. Like traditional dances or sports, which everyone knew he loved practicing, life-or-death battles always gave the accurate answer to the primitive question "which one of these two is the strongest?" which could also be translated as "which one deserves respect and glory?". Strength was what he was looking for in a soul, in a mind and in a physionomy (which might have explained his secretly stronger attraction to masculine bodies, although some feminine curves did have advantages), it was what all citizens were supposed to be looking up to ; only Romans could surpass Romans. The culture being the reflection of the mindset, it seemed only logical that displays of struggle for survival were the main event.

Sitting on the marble chair designed for the emperor, Aomine, protected by a shadow and the traditional imperial robe , observed the crowd under the burning sun with an usual expression of disdain, that nonetheless served to hide the excitement he felt at the beginning of each game. Suddendly he rose from his seat, without a word, and slighty lifted his hand, making the noise of the crowd disappear in a matter of seconds. After a long heavy silence, he sat back down as gracefully as a leader should, with an unperceivable smirk of satisfaction on his face. The competition could begin.

The speaker, a little and fat man who always wore clothes so small that he seemed really uncomfortable in them and whose face Aomine always wanted to smash against a water jar walked to the center of the arena, and announced the two first fighters of the event. As the usual two long minutes of exposition ended, the gates opened and the two gladiators, after a short moment of useless hesitation, started walking towards each other until they meet at the center. One of Aomine's advisor standing next to him leaned in to give informations, knowing well that the emperor would barely listen :

"...and he comes from Juliem. His opponent, the red-headed one, is Kagami Taiga, your highness. He is 24 years old and comes from Idacus, a village from which we have received many good elements in our military divisions in the past.

\- I see..."

It there was one thing the emperor Aomine was good at, it was estimating a man's potential not only by his height and apparent weight, but mostly by the harmony of his physionomy, his speed and startegy, and his ability to show no mercy when came the time to finish an opponent. Those were what made a peak performance to him, and those were the conditions he always followed whenever he was fighting. Out of the two gladiators he had in front of him, the one who came from Juliem, a dark haired middle-aged man, was clearly the taller and more massive one. But his opponent, Kagami from Idacus, was the one whose physionomy had full potential and from which the emperor couldn't get his eyes off.

The more they fought, struggled, groaned and attacked, the more the emperor remained captivated by the precision and the strength in the fighter from Idacus' movements. Unlike his opponent, who wore a thin protective leather shirt, he was shirtless which allowed him to be way more flexible, even though he remained easier to hurt. 

" Amazing..." Aomine said under his breath, while leaning forward in his seat. And before he even had the time to realize it, the Juliemian was lying on the ground, shocked to the core, with a sword only two inches away from his throat. It was only then that the mesmerizing fighter, humble at the start, but now oozing confidence that could dangerously turn into arrogance at any moment, met the stare of the emperor, silently asking him what he had to do with his enemy. The gladiator's eyes seemed empty but needy, almost as if he wasn't fully aware that he could be seconds away from killing someone and had to be guided in that moment of euphoria.

The cheering crowd, that probably wanted the poor man dead, sounded as if it had gone quiet for a few seconds to Aomine, and the eye-contact between him and the victorious fighter lasted for a period of time that seemed longer than necessary. As the emperor stood up, the gladiator from Idacus, out-of-breath because of something else than tiredness, whispered something than even himself could barely hear through the noise of the public.

The emperor eventually lifted his hand with his thumb pointing the ground and Kagami's blade slit his enemy's throat almost simultaneously.

 

\------------------------

It wasn't the first time that Kagami killed a man. He had once murdered a foreign soldier trying to rape his mother when his village had been attacked and he was only 15 ; the other time, a group of thieves took him by surprise at the river in the woods, and he had stabbed one while he was trying to defend himself, making the rest flee by doing so.

But this time it had felt different, maybe less difficult to carry in his consciousness, because another man, more powerful than him, had taken the decision ; Aomine Daiki. He had heard about him in the streets of Idacus, one of the youngest and yet effective emperors of the last centuries ; but seeing him with his own eyes was another experience. All the power he had felt while killing his enemy was nothing compared to the psycholgical and physical agressivity the famous man was oozing. "The one who can kill you with his will. That's the most dangerous opponent." was the only thing he had been able to say when the leader stood up to sentence a man to death that afternoon. Kagami already had blood on his hands and did not want to kill anyone anymore, and looking back, he started to seriously regret it ; but he had followed Aomine Daiki's command, the emperor's command almost instinctively, as if they both knew, at least at that precise moment, that only the rules of nature were always correct.

When he finally returned to his cell, Kuroko wasn't there anymore, as he had suspected. He hadn't participated in any fight that day, which meant that the poor boy had certainely been sold as a slave. Feeling a hint of sadness and bitterness at that thought, Kagami let his exhausted and aching body slide against the wall, and he finally ended up sitting down in the same position as he was in the morning, as if nothing had change. But something did change : the thought of the emperor haunted his mind, and he felt like he was experimenting what his also gods-fearing grandmother called " the movement of the soul" ; when the Gods forced upon a human being a passion or an obsession for another person. When their charisma or the attractiveness of someone ( the first aspect was more a characteristic of men, the latter, of women) stops one's mind from functioning healthily. Here both aspects of the emperor were disturbing Kagami's mind. His grandmother also said that the eyes reflected the spirit of someone : Both the fierce spirit behind the stare and the beauty of the eyes of a rare colour were blending to form a single truth in Kagami's mind : he was somehow attracted to them.

But he wouldn't have the time to think the disturbing yet intriguing idea through since he heard at the same time the sound of his door getting unlocked and saw a guard opening it, with two others behind him. " "Kagami T., is that right? Asked one of them.

\- Yes?

\- Follow us. The emperor wants to see you."

 

 

 

 


	2. Alike

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes chapter two ^^ this one was interesting to write but not easy

Kagami was relieved for many reasons during the trip from the Colosseum to the Palantine hill, house and workplace of the emperor. He had being given a new comfortable tunic and fresh water he craved so badly, and though he had to walk through the city while the guards next to him rode horses, he could enjoy the light and the heat of the sun he had barely percieved back in his old cell.

Being almost dragged through an unknown city during that late afternoon, almost a day after having been forcibly taken from the people in his hometown he missed was a feeling he wished he had never had to feel again in his life. In fact, the memory of Idacus was the only that made Kagami still feel genuiely free in his pride despite the sound of the shackles between his wrists being a cruel snap back to reality*.

Because this city obeyed others laws. Rules that had forced Kagami to relive parts of his youth he had tried to forget ; when the little boy he was had to kill and, in a few seconds, almost became a man haunted by the regrets some of _these_  life experiences always brought. And that was the kind of place Rome was, and the kind of man its leader, Aomine Daiki wanted to see within the city's wall. At that thought, an ugly feeling that united anger and disgust rushed through his mind, and he had tried to be completely revolted, the Gods know he did, but a third sensation he couldn't explain disturbed the whole trail of thought; This sensation, caused by the memory of the emperor's stare that morning and of the drive, the mindset Kagami had pictured hid behind it, was a sudden anticipation, excitment.

As he chased away these invading thoughts, letting his gaze wander around from one place to another without paying attention, the guards stopped their horses and told, in fact almost shouted at their captive that they had arrived at the Palantine House.

                          **___________________**

 

"Dominating potential and agressive technique. That was almost unfair for the man he was facing. You should've been there to see that, Akashi. He's quite good." Aomine stated, with a voice whose sound betrayed the presence of a grin on his face. Aomine was good at hiding excitment behind falsely nonchalant statements, but the said Akashi recognized there how his friend usually "admired" other people, rightfully and genuinely, but never in a way that could let anyone feel he had being  _too_ impressed.

Akashi had understood it about Aomine a long time ago. Admiration for someone could easily welcome a feeling of inferiority if not contained, and such feelings never forgave in that position.

"I do not mean to ruin your euphoric afternoon, but the senate demands yet a new revision of the laws about the external trade around the Capital city." Akashi being one of his closest advisor, Aomine didn't dare to flat out ditch the responsability the other man had tried to reached him all afternoon for and sat down in the chair of his desk, side eyeing the files he had to check.

In Aomine's conception of the world, paperwork made even the most patient men wish death by internal rotting instead.

"You know our relations with the city of Sadiava is seriously degrading, right? Akashi declared as he kept looking at his own files.

\- That seaside town? Yeah I know, but the fact is, a lot of hostile outsiders have set themselves there through the sea. We can't deny it's a potential danger to the Empire's unity. We need to have a strong military presence there.

"As you wish, but you know that this strategy is dangerous." Akashi responded wisely.

Aomine gave no answer and both kept working in a less comfortable silence than before.

Aomine's torture came to a sudden end when, after half an hour of tedious work with Akashi standing next to him, one of his guards appeared in his sight, followed by two others, and  _him_ in between the three as if the handcuffs weren't enough to hold him steady. They stood not even five meters away from the desk.

_What have we here._

"The gladiator, Sir, like you've asked"

_Great._

"Good. You can leave now."

The soldier frowned "But Sir, what if-

\- I said you could leave. There is nothing here that I can't handle, he responded as he stood up from his chair calmly, making eye contact up close for the first time with the fighter. 

The guards let the work office discreetly but Akashi remained in his spot, interested by seeing the turn of events. Aomine noticed that, surprisingly enough, the gladiator, Kagami Taiga remained in a quite relaxed stance, and he even had showed a slight smirk on his face when the emperor had finished giving his order.

"I said anything funny?" Aomine asked as he rounded the desk to lean his lower body against its front side, imitating the other man's position.

"No, Sir." Kagami responded, his head held high and the ghost of a smile on his lips.

As he saw him up close for the first time, Aomine couldn't help but admit that the young man had a type of charisma and attractiveness he had rarely seen. The tanned skin was the sign that he spent a healthy amount of time outdoors, and his athletic built confirm the hypothesis. Aomine's attention focused on the body language the man showed him. Relaxed, holding eye-contact and not showing signs of fear in front of authority.

"You're from Idacus, is that right?" 

"Yes."

" I would have guessed before they even told me, Aomine admitted as he quickly sized him up yet once again, thinking more than what he actually said. "I was impressed today, you're a really good fighter. What motivated you to do so well?

"Well, first of all there is that" the other answered while showing his handcuffs "I wasn't really given a choice, was I?" 

Even though there was a bit of bitterness in the gladiator's voice, Akashi, carefully listening, couldn't help but smirk at the audacity of the man's joke.

Noticing the misplaced humor and his advisor's reaction, Aomine got off the desk he was leaning against and walked slowly toward Kagami, an intimidating gaze meeting the other's eyes. Disrespect was one thing he couldn't tolerate.

"Don't forget whose ground you're standing on", he declared, tilting his head slightly, " I don't care where you come from, you're not talking to your wife, you're not talking to a merchant in the streets, you're talking to  _me_."

Kagami looked down for the first time since he had arrived and a "I'm sorry, Sir." reluctantly came out his mouth.

Aomine felt a strange mix of satisfaction and regret as he heard the other man's apology. He had received the answer he expected but hearing the gladiator's previously warm and deep voice sounding defeated had him almost wished he had let the joke slide. _  
_

"...Well, what was your motivation?" He quickly asked again with a tone deprived of all the animosity he had previously felt.

Kagami seemed to be searching for an appropriate answer. After a short silence he spoke up :

\- I just felt like... it was either him or me, you know?

As he heard those words, Aomine stiffened a bit before spacing out, looking in Kagami's direction without really seeing him.

"Um....Are you okay" Kagami asked

\- Yes I, I am" he responded with a slight smile on his face he couldn't repressed. "I am. Akashi can you leave us at moment?"

"Don't forget about Sadiava" his advisor said on his way out.

Kagami repeated the name "Sadiava" as if his he tried to remember it, but Aomine gave no time to reflect on it : 

" I have a proposition for you."

                        **__________________**

 

The second he had walked in the office of the luxious building, Kagami had known he would have to suppress any signs that could reveal how anxious he really felt.

_The most dangerous is the one who can kill you with his will. The secret is to not let him destroy yours._

"There's nothing here that I can't handle."

_Well shit._

Kagami couldn't help but let chuckle at the remark, not because he mocked it but out of nervousness. There were few men he had met who were so sure of their power and in his category that one seemed to be a real challenge, and maybe in a good way. Despite the anxiety settling in, Kagami had finally remembered why he had been eager to arrive there.

"What's the proposition?" He asked Aomine as the latter sat back behind his desk.

\- I will have some Sadiavan dignitaries come to Rome for quite some time, and for diplomatic reasons. They say entertainement brings people together, and I want to show them how things are done here. And for this event, I want you to participate in the games again." Aomine declared with a genuine enthousiam in his voice.

Kagami cringed at word "games". It was hardly a game to face death.

\- With all due respect, I don't really see how that's a proposition ; you didn't have to bring me here to make me fight again.

\- A smart one, huh, he said, his eyes not leaving Kagami as he stood up again. I wasn't done talking ; to be honest, I had been considering making you a part of the imperial guard. You've technically never been a slave, and your physical condition is... perfect.

Deciding to ignore the rather pleasing compliment, Kagami still stood his ground :

"You understand I would rather have the privilege to go home if I win." 

"Going home to what? Idacus? I know about that place and it's a backwater, Aomine argued arrogantly as he walked around him. "The traditions values there are well kept, but the economy is collapsing, the crops are dying, and all the men old enough to leave their family walk away to find better oportunities in better places, like here, and they do it because they know they can. It's called ambition, taking power in one's hands. The way I did, and the way you would've done sooner or later...

Aomine finished right when he was in facing him :

"Because we're alike."

                           **___________________**

 

That sentence stuck with Kagami even as he made his way out of the Palantine House. The sentence but also the blue stare he had found alluring from the first time he had seen it, the same morning. This time there was not only the mindset but also the man's whole personality, the way he carried himself, his use of words, and his ambition that had held Kagami's attention and interest. Even the guards around him, oblivious to everything that had just happend, couldn't alter his current enthusiasm.

The night had already come, inviting everyone in the city to go home and rest, and there he was, excited to see tomorrow.

_The emperor wants to play it that way ; we're gonna play._

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *mom's spaghetti
> 
> Like I said before this chapter took quite a while because I had to establish the whole dynamic between the two characters and I had to be patient with my own ass sooo  
> Again, tell me it there's any mistake  
> Hopefully y'all liked it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm honestly not used to writing that much for one chapter :P not gonna lie this chapter is more for setting the characters and the context, this time it didn't take me so long cause I had the whole guideline done for this one
> 
> Enjoy ^^

Once again and more than ever, the tiredness started to weigh in on Kagami's body as soon as he reached the small hostel the guards had led him to under the orders of the emperor. Making his way through the dining room, he didn't even find the motivation to feel disgusted by the overwhelming smell of alcohol or intimidated by the stares of some men who had too much to prove. But with the guards gone and his body feeling so exhausted that he could fall asleep at any time, he remained an easy target. 

As Kagami walked towards the reception desk in the back of the badly lit room, what he had feared eventually happened :

"Well if that ain't the emperor's princess", declared one drunk man two tables away from him, making his also out-of-their-mind-drunk friends chuckle loudly.

Kagami's ancestors in the afterlife could have been able to hear the sigh he made as soon as the wasted man's sentence reached his ears.

"I heard he like'em strong, did that sissy reward you after your brutal ass murdered that poor man?" 

He didn't know if he had been more disturbed by the fact that he had been called a brutal murdered or that the pride of a man for whom he, against all odds, had a positive fascination had been insulted. His anger might have come from a mix of both :

"Listen here you little sh-" 

He wasn't given the time to finish his sentence since he felt a firm grip on his arm, forcing him to turn around:

"It's not worth it, come on, I will find you a room."

The serene stare meeting his own was how Kagami recognized the little man before even taking a complete look at him.

"...Kuroko?" Why-"

\- Been sold here. Come, you look exhausted.

\- Listen to your girlfriend, every princess needs a beauty sleep" added the drunk man as Kagami followed his former cellmate upstairs.

"You shouldn't care about them that much. They're Sadiavan, in fact they were in the group of people who sold me to Roman soldiers to keep them from taking their own sons.

\- I swear to the Gods, these assholes... Kagami complained before thinking about his own words "I mean not because they're from Sadavia but- "

\- It's okay, he answered in suprisingly honest way. "And I think you should know that they weren't especially angry at you ; though I don't know why, things are getting tense lately between Sadiavans and the Capital city... all of the sudden there was more Roman soldiers on our streets, and here am I..."

Kuroko seemed to have spaced out for a few seconds, during which Kagami didn't dare to speak.

They finally arrived in front of an available room, and Kuroko asked out of the blue with a slightly witty tone :

"But you know what they say in Sadiava? When your own folks betray you, the Gods give you the holy permission to betray them back."

The saying brought a smile of complicity to Kagami's lips " So, are you gonna?"

\- I don't know, you will have to ask those Sadiavan men downstairs. Maybe they'll answer you tomorrow, maybe not.

\- ...What?

\- Good night, Kagami from Idacus, he answered respectfully before closing the door behind him, leaving the gladiator with his questions.

The following morning, after a rather great night of sleep, Kagami woke up to the sound of a woman screaming and of employees running back and forth in the hostel ; the group of men who had made fun of him the night before were found dead in their beds.

             ------------------------------------------------

 

"Shit!" 

\- Now, now, I've heard you use a better language than that." Akashi teased, sitting comfortably in a chair while his friend walked from left to right and back behind his desk.

Akashi felt like taking the case with some of that cynical humor he was good at delivering, Aomine didn't. However stubborn he could get, they both knew he was never one to be afraid of letting show how concerned about the fate Rome he could get.

"You're the last person I should explain how bad this is to" he started with a grave tone, his stare focused on the balcony next to his office, as he hesitated to walk towards it for some minute, expecting all that fuckery to be solved once he would come back. Instead of following his escapist nature (of which he was very well aware), he rather turnt his stare back to the young slave who had come to report the death of three Sadiavan in the vicinity in an important hostel three days prior.

"And you, "Kuroko" you said... you saw nothing?

\- No, Sir. I only heard of this event when I woke up ; a coworker of mine told me that some clients hadn't responded to her knocking on their door several times. So she walked in and there they were. Needless to say she is still deeply touched by those deaths.

\- What about you, you don't seem so devastated, Akashi said, sizing up the young slave standing next to him.

\- I can assure you I was...answered Kuroko with a clear voice, I had never heard of such a terrible story.

\- Leave him in peace, Akashi, the real issue for now is the make sure Sadiavan dignitaries won't know about all that, it could really alter the diplomatic process. Go organize a meeting for this early afternoon with the other advisors.

-I beg your pardon? I didn't hear it quite well.

Akashi smirked, Aomine sighed.

-...  _please_.

-Very well then, consider it done. I see you this afternoon.

He stood up gracefully from his chair, meeting the slave's stare for a brief moment before exiting the room. Aomine was now alone with the young man, but although he looked in his direction, his mind was somewhere else.

He had relaxed a bit, but one aspect still bothered him. He sat his right leg down on the border of his desk, his left one still touching the ground but fidgeting. He found himself hoping the slave wouldn't notice.

"Now tell me ; The gladiator. Something happend to him?

\- Not that I know, I saw him this morning before coming here and he seemed to be fine.

_Thank goodness._

-... 'Right, he said as the fidgeting stopped. You can leave now. 

\- If I may say something Sir...?

\- Go ahead.

Kuroko took a deep breath "It's only my opinion, but most fighters I've seen don't have that much respect for their captors. Three days ago, when he arrived at the hostel, he was greeted with insults towards the fact that he had killed his opponent, but mostly towards you as an important figure, who apparently promotes favoritism.

\- It happens more than you think, Aomine admitted, a mocking grin coming to him at the thought, what is your point?

\- We all know how men from Idacus are, Sir, they might regret taking someone's else life, but deep down they're raised from birth to always take pride of defeating the enemy.

-I know.

\- He got angry at the men who had picked on him, but I could see it in his eyes; his pride remained untouched, it was rather yours he wanted to defend. In my own, that is an act that inspires respect.

The last sentence echoed in Aomine's head as he was trying to grasp its meaning.

\- "Inspires respect"?

\- Yes. I'd even say admiration.I spent some time with the fighter since he arrived; I must admit I'm not completely objective since we're already familiar, but I'm partly asking you to free him ; life as a property isn't for men as honorable as those who protect the honor of others. I've seen up close men giving up their own honor to save their lives ; That one, Kagami Taiga, doesn't have the same mentality in my opinion.

\- Why are telling me that? Do you have anything to get from seeing him freed?

The slave didn't directly look at him this time but his still wore the same serene confidence :

\- I'm used to be a slave, here or in my hometown. Few citizens have adressed me as a human worthy of consideration, and from the few I've seen, he's a respectable man. This is simply a spontaneous request not to strip a Idacusian of his freedom, the Gods know what it means to people like them.

An heavy silence had set between the emperor and the slave and the latter added : "May I leave?"

 

                   -----------------------------------

 

 "You heard the news? The high dignitaries of Sadiava and their little friends are gonna come to the city.

\-  I know man, my girlfriend won't stop talking about it. Apparently there'll be a "greetings event" and she wants us to go to that fucking tournament or something... that woman is way too bloodthirsty for her own good.

\- Come, it can be fun, Sadiavan are useless but pretty good when it comes to entertainment so I'm pretty sure Aomine's gonna put his balls on the table and throw a fine ass party to compete... You remember the time when...-

Kagami tried discreetly to keep track of the discussion between the two customers sitting on the table next to him until they got interrupted by the a waiter. He sighed, and found himself unable to finish his plate of bread and meat. In other times he would have eaten any type of meals in a matter of minutes, but for the last few days he had felt nauseous at the sight of flesh.

Kuroko, who was cleaning the table on his other side, said with what seemed to be an attempt at using a compassionate tone " You should try to eat a bit, tomorrow is an important day."

"- I know but...", Kagami answered, not finding the words to express his discomfort easily, "I don't think I can do it again, waiting for the gates to open, face the crowd, face the enemy, fighting...killing...

\- Sometimes we don't have a choice... I told you tried to plead for the emperor to free you from that, but I honestly don't know if it did work. You have to prepare yourself for-

"...-Yeah, I  _know._ " Kagami interrupted his new friend, his hand clinging to the corner of the table as he tried to ease his frustration. The  _emperor_ takes all the decision, the  _emperor_ decides who lives and dies,  _he_ choses. 

After a short silence between the two, Kuroko finally responded with a now indescribable tone :

"I know why he chosed you to participate in the games of tomorrow.

\- Oh really? Tell me then, I'm dying to know.

\- Remember what you told me you had felt when you met him at Palantine house?"

Kagami blinked repeatedly, surprised by the question, and proceeded to search his memory :

\- I think it was....curiosity?

\-  What about when you left the place?

\- Strangely enough... excitement...

\-  And at the end of the fight, when you saw his thumb pointing the ground?

This time, Kagami's answer came to him as naturally as air comes to the breath : "Power."

Kuroko almost managed to hide the smile that was starting stretch on his face, the smile of a man who had led another one to the conclusion he needed to hear. 

"The rant you did a few seconds ago, that was only the fear inside talking. But I saw in your stare how the word "power" erased that feeling for a brief moment. It always does. _You_ chose whether you live or die and you know it."

_...This kid._

-You there... you're way to smart to be cleaning tables."

\- I told you, Kagami from Idacus, sometimes we don't have any choice, some of us have to stay in the shadows."  Kuroko answered calmly as he got up, "I have to get back to work."

The slave was about to turn his back to his friend when he added :

"Also, I have heard stories about the emperor on the streets when I was discreet enough to catch some infos. If you think your fate is unfair, ask him about his own life path the next time you have the chance to speak with him. That's how I guessed why he chosed you."

 

_What does that mean exactly?_

 

"-Wait, what is you point?"

\- I was raised to not repeat things that are so personal, especially since a man's integrity is always at stake. But he seems to be an earnest person ; I have the feeling he would tell you himself, if you really wanted to know. 

_Homeboy can poison three men before bedtime but can't repeat street talk._

The Sadavian eventually went back to work, leaving Kagami the opportunity to think the whole situation through. He tried to associate the persistent image of the emperor's alluring eyes he couldn't seem to forget (despite having tried) with any story the Roman streets could tell about their owner, without success. 

_"His own life path"... "Power"... what is the meaning behind those words..._

And without paying much attention, he started to eat almost mechanically his meal, following his friend's advice but still confused by the hints he had been given.

 

            -------------------------------------------

 

The next morning, The sun had almost completely risen on Rome, letting its inhabitants enjoy some of the first minutes of warmth and rays of light reflected on the hills. The Sadavian leaders had already been seen approaching the gates of the capital, and the last details were set in the Forum in order to greet the foreigners properly. 

"If our informations are correct, the highest dignitary Haizaki came in person" said Akashi as he walked down the stairs of the Palantine House next to Aomine. "I honestly don't know if that's a good thing. The last time you two met each other was at that tournament-..." 

\- I don't wanna talk about that, answered Aomine quickly, let's focus on trying to make that loser sign some agreements with the capital during the following week." his voice got a bit more joyful "That, and I can't wait for him to see the gladiator Kagami fight this afternoon, this man is a force of nature...he's the spirit of Rome.

From the corner of his eyes he could see Akashi observe him, and biting his lip while turning his head away like he always did when he restrained himself from speaking.

The crowd was already gathered on the Forum, on the sidelines to make room for the arrival of the visitors from the gates. On the opposite side, the voice of a young announcer rose  :

" The emperor!"

Aomine sat down on the marble chair set for the occasion, while Akashi sat on a seat to his right, and an old man everyone knew to be only there for decoration, a senator, was already set on his left.

A hundred meters away from them, the main doors opened and a cavalry of guards followed by the man Haizaki himself on a horse as well entered the city and approached the emperor.

"Daiki Aomine, he said with an unhidden bitterness, your Highness. I heard you prepared a nice event for me.

\- I may have done it, Aomine answered, forcing himself to remain polite, but don't forget you're here for diplomatic reasons first.

\- "You're right, a cocky smile stretched on his lips, accentuating a disfiguring scar on his cheek "Let's do it then."

He got off his horse,  

"Let the party begin."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to give my boy Kuroko a more important part cause he's underrated in his own manga sooo (no shade intended)  
> And also Haizaki, u n d e r r a t e d  
> Hope you liked it <3  
> Edit : So I'm during the finals period, which means that I won't be able to write that much. That said I have my finals this week and then after partying a bit Imma work on this as well as I can o/ I think I'll update two weeks from today, sorry for the waiting time ^^


	4. The three steps

The noise of the crowd started to sound familiar, his gear was lighter to carry and the minutes went by faster, maybe because he had thought about that moment so many times that he was beginning to feel somehow ready for it. Kagami was wandering back and forth in the basement set behind the gates, driven by a stronger mindset than the first time the had been there.

_I "choose whether I live or die". That's some weird philosopher talk._

He would've chuckle at his own thought if he didn't actually believe the sentence the young Sadiavan had stuck in his head the day before. He was the first one to admit that his nature was usually to react to anxiety with irrational agressivity, but on that day, he would need to channel it wisely to strike the enemy where it hurt. He knew how much he needed control to win.

_But can "control" be enough though? Ain't that only what we tell ourselves to feel ready when times like this come...there's something else..._

As doubts invaded his mind, he instinctively drew closer to the gates, looking up in the direction of the emperor's empty seat through the fence. The large and excited crowd had already gathered around the arena, unaware or maybe simply unbothered by Kagami's state of mind. After scanning through the public, his stare wandered back towards the majestous but empty seat.

_Is your power something the people give you or that's something you have to show them first?_

The voice of a guard rose behind Kagami :

"The emperor!"

Aomine Daiki appeard in his sight, and he could have succesfully managed to to keep a solemn and blank expression it wasn't for a spark of excitment in his eyes that Kagami had learn to recognize.

" Your Highness."

\- "Sir" is enough. The people who know me also know how...annoying the word "Highness"is to me.

\- Sorry,  I just wanted to be polite. Last time I was rude I got scolded like a prepubescent boy in the Palantine House, so I'm learning my lessons. 

Aomine sneered in light-hearted way :

\- Oh so you remember that. It was that traumatizing?

\- I cry myself to sleep _every_  night thinking about that.

\- Oh ok. You're a funny one I see," Aomine's voice altered by a barely hidden smile on his lips. The sight of that detail made Kagami feel a bit lighter, his previous doubts slowly becoming a background noise. He eventually allowed himself to smile as well.

After a short moment of contemplative silence, Aomine eventually spoke out, his tone lower than before :

\-  Listen ; I'm here because of the proposition I made you days a few days ago. The one stating you could become a imperial guard if you won this fight.

\- Yes, I remember. The terms have changed?

\-  Officially, no. You're still free to either be part of the guard, or to go back to your hometown. But I received the visit of a slave, a blue haired kid whose name I forgot..

\- ... Kuroko?

\- ...Yeah right, him. I usually try to remember the name of the people I meet but some just don't leave a strong impression...But whoever he was, you're lucky, faithful friends don't come your way that often around here. Though he probably miscaculated, thinking you didn't have choice after the fight, since he asked me to set you free.

Kagami stared at him, more confused than he would have admitted :

\- So, you came here in person because...?

\- Look, It's not the emperor talking you right now. It's one man to another. The former would've made you chose ambition, pushed you to see a opportunities in every of your actions, and to fight for the honor of the Capital. That's what I told you when we met...

He paused for a few seconds, staring at the arena through the fence behind Kagami. He sighed before adding :

" But that path ain't easy ; Everyone has a hometown, a family, they should have the right to choose by themselves. Many say that it's real freedom the way it should be seen. Ironically enough, the slave had to remind me of that, since apparently I let myself forget it...

Aomine frowned at his own sentence, making Kagami eventually realize he wasn't the only one for whom admitting seemed to be difficult.

\- Thank you for that advice, but I've already choosen which path I'll take if I...survive this.

\-  I think I'll know right away by watching : people doubt a lot when they're outside the arena and they don't  _feel_ it, but trust me, when you're inside and you win, you know exactly who you are...At least, that's how I see it.

A guard discreetly approached Aomine

" Sir, the dignitaries have already taken their seat, everyone's waiting for you." 

\- Tell them I'm coming.  "Good luck, gladiator."

Out of the blue, for a reason he couldn't explain even to himself, Kagami couldn't help but to do an attempt at the Roman salute. He placed a hand over his heart before lifting it above his head.

\- What was that? Aomine mocked, a salute?

\- Yeah... I mean, some native Roman man taught me how to do it back in the hostel.

\- Well he was probably too drunk to teach you properly. The salute was created based of the sentence "Veni, Vidi, Vici". Look.

"Veni, I came" Aomine lifted his arm up high, forming a fist with his hand, "Shows your presence. It means you've arrived in a foreign place"

"Vidi, I saw", he lowered his arm and placed his hand over his heart. "The heart is the center of the being. It means you've witnessed."

And "Vici, I conquered", he took the same hand and mimicked a knife cutting his own throat. "You've defeated".

The perfect execution left in Kagami a glimpse of admiration that he decided to downplay :

"Ok then, thank you. I'd say it was not so bad..."

\- Not bad? Easy now, you're forgetting whose ground you're standing on" he answered with a cocky but once again light-hearted voice ."I have to go, my pleasant guests and Shogo Haizaki are waiting for me. Don't you die, Kagami from Idacus. That's an imperial order."

\- I'll do my best, Sir.

The emperor took one last undescridable look at him then left eventually, minutes before the gates would open and Kagami would have to face his fate. But amoung all of his doubts, one distant thought helped him keep some sort of inner peace.

_"We're alike", huh?_

___________________

 

Aomine was welcomed by the familiar peaceful wind of the south contrasting with the sight of an enthusiastic crowd as he reached the top of the long stairs leading to his seat. No matter how many time he would stand in front of this number of people, nervousness would always threathen to overwhelm him, but his experience had taught him how to deal with the feeling . Once again, the way it always did, the crowd got silent at his arrival, waiting for him to sit down and begin the event.

"I can see they're really obedient around here. "Haizaki stated while sitting down next to Aomine "You know how the people go wild in Sadiava."

\-  You only need to learn how respect works and you get that result. You too, get back up.

Haizaki scowled and stood up reluctantly, making some mocking laughs rise in the public. A low but genuine "Fucking plebs" left his mouth at the occasion.

Aomine eventually sat down, and the voices of the said plebs started resonating once again through the whole arena.

"So : you told me the guests could chose the opponent when invited in Rome" Haizaki started.

\- Yeah, I remember. So who did you chose? I hope it's someone who can mesure up. 

\- Actually, I didn't chose anyone per say....Haizaki bit his lip in anticipation," it's more of a speciality of the seaside lands that we brought with us...

The announcer in the middle of the arena had finished presenting Kagami and took a deep breath before continuing.

"Facing him, an eight year old lioness coming from the african coasts, one hundred and forty kilos."*

Aomine froze at that sentence. He had imagined anyone, from an inexperienced youngster to a ruthless veteran, but even he knew that humans had their physical boundaries, and that many wild animals were out of their league.

When the gates opened and both opponents were sent into the arena, he would've almost completely stood up from his chair if Haizaki hadn't stopped him :

" Now, now, Sir, everyone has anticipated this event for a solid week, look at your fighter in his shiny little armour, he will deliver." He paused briefly to take a look at Aomine and enjoy the sight of frustration on his face "What would your people think if he backed up now? I've done nothing but bring something that could... "mesure up", I think that's the saying 'round here."

And he finished rejoicing when the emperor sat back down, the latter's eyes not leaving the smaller and more vulnerable shape in the center of the arena. He witnessed Kagami glancing up towards their seats twice, the first time out of confusion and the second, out of fear. That one pained him the most ; he had seen genuine fear on too many faces not to recognize it, its features were universal.

"Shit, Haizaki you didn't..."

"With all due respect, I don't remember seeing his Grace complain when two men cross swords with each other.

The sentence echoed in Aomine's mind even though he didn't want it to be true. He knew Haizaki could be a despicable man, but pragmatism remained his best quality.

"Me leaving only one human from the equation instead of two is actually the nicest I've been this month...?" Haizaki said to himself half jokingly, " God, I'm getting too kind for this cruel world..

"That's where you're wrong. You may have seen the guy from afar and thought he was a regular young man wandering in the streets of the Capital. He doesn't even have Roman blood, " He paused and looked at Haizaki with a look of honesty and underlying satisfaction "But you know me, I speak only from experience, and in this arena, that thing walking towards your animal is not human."

.

 

.

 

Kagami wasn't able to recall a time where he had been so terrified. His eyes left the sight of the massive animal only twice to glance up towards the emperor and the dignitaries, many questions rushing through his head that completely disappeard whenever he looked back at the lioness. His mind went blank and he found himself hypnotized by her size and her cold golden eyes fixated on him. Two slaves took the iron collar off her neck and ran to the nearest gates as soon as the chain fell on the ground. It was only then that he realized that the fight had begun.

Kagami drew his sword slowly and carefully, still impressed by the animal in front of him. The lioness not only seemed to be strong but also and most of all smart, waiting for him to attack and put himself in obvious danger. 

The gladiator rounded her patiently, even though his heart was racing and his hand held the handle of his sword so tightly that it started to hurt. He kept making small steps around her while maintaining a safe space.

"Ok...What's he doing?"Haizaki asked, only mildly interested by the lack of action.

\- He's looking for her weak spot. Aomine answered, fascinated by the fighter's solid but natural posture, "Good, very good actually. In the north, they teach to young boys how to engage a fight very early ; they know how to read through the opponent as soon as they can hold a sword.

Kagami kept walking on an invisible circle around the lioness, sizing her up, his sword held high towards her to appear more dangerous. He took five, ten, twenty steps around her, desperate for an opening, but she seemed to be aware of the strategy since she was facing him at every point.

"C'mon, Kagami" he told himself , "the fuck you're doing, this is useless. Attack!"

As if she could've read his thoughts, the lioness chosed that moment to charge her opponent, which left Kagami only a couple of seconds to avoid her by throwing himself on the ground. The audience cheered loudly at that action, which excited the animal so much that she started to roar, but the fighter who remained on the ground was completely silent.

Aomine watched Kagami sitting there, not moving a muscle and as shocked as the man he had killed a few days ago. 

_He's petrified. The worst type of panic...He can't do anything in that state._

_"_ You undersand it too" Haizaki said after taking a quick glance at Aomine "Your boy down there needs to snap out of it or else...

The lioness roared a second time, making Kagami finally reconnect with the events. He stood up, put himself in a defensive posture this time, and ended up focusing his stare on her as if she was the last thing on earth. He had become less scared and more calculating ; usually, he would've charged her out of rage without any second thought, but he would have to wait for the right opportunity. 

" I think he did snap out of it" said Aomine as he recognized the posture, before adding : "Now he's ready ."

The lioness was slowly getting closer to him again, and he took a few steps back to maintain the distance. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the long chain with which the animal had been held captive, and the collar on one end. An idea crossed his head when he saw that the other side of that chain was still firmly tied to a post next to her basement. 

_I have only one try, she won't fall for it twice._

The chain laid behind the beast, so Kagami had to round her again. As he got close enough, he was slowly reaching out for the collar when the lioness attacked once again ; this time he managed to cut her lightly with his sword as he fell down, even if the landing felt harsher on his body. The lioness, disoriented by the pain on her sides and the shouts of the crowd, would have needed a few more seconds to focus on the man again, and he used that time to grab the chain and almost throw himself on her to put it back around her neck. Tied the post, she tried to jump on him one last time, but he was already getting away from her reach. _  
_

 Kagami stood up with a lot of effort from the ground, and Aomine could swear he had rarely heard a crowd shouting so loud before. It took him a few seconds to grasp what had just happend in front of everyone's eyes ; the gladiator had just put a beast twice his weight back into its chains.

"Impressive, admitted Haizaki, very frustrating, but impressive..."

The euphoria Kagami had felt the first time in that same arena came back, rushing through his veins and amplified by the overwhelming sound of the public and the heat of the summer on his skin. But this time, his enemy, human or not, was still breathing, in front of him watching him having the upper hand, and during that moment the feeling of power couldn't have been matched by anything else.

"Who the fuck do you think I am? Huh?!"

He shouted out of the blue to the crowd, waiting for a satisfying answer. The noise of admiration he got in return sounded like a good enough start to him.

"That's right." He whispered to himself. As he looked down to pick up his sword, he noticed blood dripping from his left arm ; the lioness had probably wounded him when he tried to avoid her second assault, but the feeling of euphoria had hidden the pain for a short while.

" Y-You did this to me?" He asked as his stare went from horror to anger towards the animal.

Kagami looked up yet once again at the emperor's seat, this time only one idea in mind. Previously he had been terrified of the beast and wanted to survive, but at that moment where all emotions were amplified, he loathed it.

"Look at that stare...I honestly hope she wasn't your favorite pet" Aomine admitted to Haizaki as he stood up, knowing that waiting any longer would be pointless.

He pointed his thumb down before adding :   "But everyone and everything must die one day or another."

Kagami's blade cut the head of the young lioness off. Seconds after the tip of his sword hit the ground, his mind slowly came back to reality, and he watched a pool of blood dripping to his feet with a blank expression. Standing in the middle of the puddle and facing the emperor, he lifted his arm and the weapon up high, then proceeded to place his hand over his heart. After dropping his sword on his side, he took that same hand and mimicked a knife cutting his own throat.

"And that, what the hell does that mean?" Haizaki asked, while being more irritated by his defeat than he dared to say.

Aomine answered after biting his lip, the spark of excitment appearing once again in his eyes as he stared at the winner :

"He came, he witnessed, and he became a part of the imperial guard."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * - 140 kilos is ~310 pounds  
> \- 8 years for a lioness is ~40 years old for a human
> 
> So guys I graduated and honestly? Feels so good ^^  
> New chapter, I wanted to go more in details when in came to the actual fighting, lemme know how it is  
> Lemme also know if you see mistakes because sometimes I see them myself and I just cringe really hard, so yeah


	5. Irrational

"This decision is unfounded and you know it."

Aomine shook his head in disbelief, recognizing in those last three words the way Akashi managed to convince anyone of anything, except him.

"The thing is, I don't actually see why this would be unfounded ;  the gladiator has proved that he knows how to hold a sword and to use it, and it's a fact that competence is a quality." He replied on a lower tone than usual, so that no one would hear them even though the quiet garden they stepped in remained empty.

As they sat down on a bench, Akashi contested once again :" You need loyal ones first and foremost. This man has no ties to Rome, has never spontaneously expressed the will to defend the emperor, and he already had a life that he was forced to leave abruptly. If you don't pay attention..."

Akashi paused as he saw Aomine's features slightly tensing up ;

"... you could be betrayed."  managing to keep his voice as unfazed as it more than often sounded.

The silence that fell in turned out to be unsurprisingly uncomfortable ; Akashi assumed that his words had finally reached Aomine's ears and that he was processing them.

"Akashi, trustworthy or not", He replied absently, his grave stare locked on the ground, " I don't fear any man."

\- Of course you don't", his advisor answered, a light sneer of frustration leaving his lips" I used to think like you. But pride can blind anyone. We are not even entirely sure that he has accepted your offer yet."

\- He executed the roman salute in front of all of us, me, Haizaki and the goldfishes he has for colleagues, covered in the blood of the enemy they brought. Officially it meant nothing, but to anyone who is actually able to see the meaning behind the action, he has accepted to be a part of Rome." 

Aomine was running out of patience, yet Akashi couldn't help but insisting.

"This man has no reason to be loyal to you, or to anyone in this city." 

\- And why that?" Aomine spat, already irritated by the answer he knew he would get.

\- He was made a slave-

\- So was I!

 Akashi was taken aback by the loud confession that had come so naturally from the emperor. He first thought of it as a sick joke, but the chances of that option decreased by seconds as Aomine remained silent.  Suddenly, the idea of having known the other man for so long without being aware of such a troubled past hit him, a person who had always been able to see through the others. He knew about Aomine since they had met on the streets of Rome and he was dressed as a Patrician*, but somehow he couldn't have been able to guess anything. Not knowing how to deal with such a revelation, he could only ask a one word question :

"...When?"

Aomine got up from the bench, the regret of his outburst showing on his face. He hated to owe anyone explanations, yet Akashi's questions always sounded like demands ; he knew he'd have to talk about it, if not for his friend's sake, at least for his own.

" I was 10, going on 11. I wasn't living in Rome yet, I was in another city... the place doesn't matter though, people don't have the time or the strength to admire the landscape when they're working for somebody else." he stated with a hint of hatred on the last two words. " I had been sold to a small farm far away from the center, you know, the kind where they need youngsters to work on field and pick up crops, wheat, corn, vegetables.

Kids are kind, they're naive, they suffer in silence cause they're too scared to even consider that they don't deserve it. The funniest part is that at first, I used to think it was the hardest thing I'd ever have to do, but the damn Gods always find a find a way to mess with your expectations..."

-... What do you mean by that?

Aomine sighed and looked down at his own hand :

\- I mean, that people can make you do anything they want if they own you life. I mean it because I've seen it ; it's an inevitable part of life, some people are so unlucky that they have to earn their freedom, since they know that they only got themselves." His eyes eventually met Akashi's again yet his expression had lighten up " Kagami Taiga  _is_ one of these people, and when I saw him I knew that he would be able to grasp the chance setting himself free the moment it would show up....

You know, I grew up with my father before they... separated us. He always told me that people who have been shaped by hard experiences learn "the truth value of being here", you see what I mean ?

\- ...More or less.

\- Good, that makes one of us, " Aomine admitted, a discreet smirk appearing on his face "cause to this day I still can't really explain it rationally. I just... feel it. Remember what Kagami Taiga answered when I asked how he fought so well?

Akashi frowned slightly at the question at first, not understanding its relevance. But as soon as the answer came to him, he replied with a solemn tone :

\- " _I felt like it was either him or me"._

 _-_ Exactly, Akashi. The words of a man who didn't overthink, didn't hesitate, didn't allow himself to fear." Aomine said with a hint of entousiasm that contrasted with his usual casualness. "I had the proof that I wasn't crazy to believe my father, that some of us definitely have the drive for it when, he won against that animal yesterday afternoon ; every moves were natural, ruthless. There's a will, a instinct in that guy, a charisma from the way he holds himself, to the way he speaks and the way he looks at you... that tells the story of a winner.

A few seconds passed between the two friends, yet Aomine's sentence was still resonating in Akashi's head. The glimpse of an idea was merging in his mind as he repeated those words to himself again and again.

\- I sense that your description of him is very subjective...

Aomine raised an eyebrow.

\- Yes, and? You know that I always say what I think.

\- I do know that ... Yet I've rarely, if not never seen you in that state " Akashi started, squinting as he tried to grasp the meaning of his Aomine's behaviour. He stoop up instinctively to get a better view at his face.

" It is not even the first time, you seemed to be longing for his entrance before he walked into the desk room of the Palantine House ... I only saw a tall outsider arriving in Rome, but your stare...you saw someone else completely, am I wrong?

\- what do you mean by that Akashi? You're not making any sense..

\- I actually think I am. You have seen dozens of gladiators before, some of them arguably more competent than that young man..

\- Oh no I don't think they were-

\- That's it, Akashi said, not even fully listening the him anymore, I think I do understand. A few days ago, You told me that he was the spirit  of Rome. And today you tell me that something as trivial as the look on his eyes reminded you of that ideal... What you are doing is very uncanny.

Aomine didn't react immediately to his statement, yet after a while he answered with an earnest tone that even his usually low voice didn't prepare Akashi for :

"I won't repeat my question a second time : What do you mean by all that?"

\- You are idiolizing a stranger. You want to give power to a man who hasn't earned it by showing loyalty, but by the selfishness of the survival instinct. Some of the first words he spoke to you were a witty joke about about his captivness ; that whole projection onto him is... I can't believe how irrational you've become, Daiki."

That time Aomine didn't have the will to ask for further explanations, as he stood there, watching his advisor leave his presence.

He took a deep sigh as he lifted his eyes towards the previously blue sky, now covered by thick clouds. No drop had fallen yet but the humidity in the air hinted that rain was on its way.

 "Irrational?" He repeated

_Well, maybe that's how we should feel from time to time._

 

_**________________________**_

 

Kagami had always loved the rain since he was a little child, beacuse it was a sign that the weather of his dry hometown had cooled down and that crops would finally be able to grow heathily. But everyone else loved the rain and longed for it for that reason ; his less practical and more personal one was that during those rare moments everything seemed more quiet and peaceful, the sound of raindrops melting with the voice of his mother speaking close to him.

No more sound of swords, of others boys grunting, no more sight of people struggling under the heat of Idacus's famous eternal summer. lt was simply the expression of  " nature the way one should appreciate it" as his mother said.

But at that moment, as he lied down and looked at the heavy rain falling down through the window* of his room, he felt nothing similar to  peacefulness ; he wasn't even listening the drops falling like he usually did, it was as if his mind was elsewhere.

He was playing the violent scene of the day prior over and over again in his head, yet everytime only some sparsam details would clearly appear . At first visual ones, like the crowd gathred all around him and the blood dripping drown his arm.

Then the sounds, some of them frightening like the roar of the beast, and others exhiliarating like the noise of the people praising him. And finally, the most ambigous ;  the passions, such as the cruel joy he had felt to lock the animal in its chains and the satisfaction of seeing Aomine Daiki allowing him to kill the creature in front of him, almost as if he had relieved him of a need.

This time again, he had felt a true connection with the other man, every word that the latter had spoke to him that day felt like they were true, like he was inside his head before Kagami could realize it.

"- What are you thinking about" a soft voice rose.

Kagami sat up instantly in his bed, and his heart missed a beat as soon as he heard Kuroko's unexpected question.

"- Just stop doing that..."

\- Doing what? " he replied with a tone that hardly souded innocent.

-You know, the way you...appear out of nowhere like...don't act like you don't know, you just have to stop.

Kuroko sensed that Kagami's irritation didn't entirely come from his sudden entrance. Sitting down against the wall next to his new friend's bed, he insisted :

\- You didn't answer." He looked at Kagami without flinching.

From the first time he had seen him, Kagami couldn't help but being disoriented by how heavy the boy's stare was ; Some people were simply able to get anyone out of their comfort zone without even a word.

\-  Nothing in particular...

\- You're lying.

One attempt was enough. 

\- ...Okay. I was thinking about yesterday in general... I won and if felt amazing, and at first only thinking about it was almost as good, but now..." He started, clenching his fist on his good hand.

-.... You feel empty?

Although Kagami frowned at Kuroko's strange choice of words, he couldn't help but agree.

\- I guess...but why are you putting it like that? 

Kuruko finally looked away :

\- Kagami, do you know why the drunk men we serve downstairs keep coming back to drink again every night? 

\- Because they're used to it" He mocked.

\- Partly, but that's not the reason at the core. He got up and started wandering in the small room "They sober up everytime and want to feel intoxicated again. Some of those I see almost all day here and who are nice enough to speak decently actually admitted it, and for the worst of them it becomes the only thing they can set their mind to, leaving them too hollow for anything else.

 - Kuroko, I don't crave for living beings to kill when I wake up in the morning.

\- Those men don't crave for arguably bad wine neither, that's the part they get used to. Kuroko paused as he finally looked at Kagami again, and the latter managed to catch a glimpse of concern on his stern face :      

"They crave the feeling that comes after."

The sound of the rain came back, and just as Kagami was about to speak, someone knocked at the door.

"Open up! We come in the name of the emperor."

The last word piqued his interest ; this time he sat on the corner of his bed, making his feet touch the floor for the first time in hours. Kuroko who was already standing up went and opened the door. 

Two guards appeard in his sight, the taller one catching Kagami's attention first. The iron helmets they wore made them seem quite menacing as they walked they walked through the door. The one he had noticed asked with a lighthearted voice and familiarity that didn't exactly fit the tone of their encounter :

" So...you with the red hair, you're Kagami Taiga am I right? " 

\- Yeah, I am... Why did the emperor bring you two here?

\-  Actually, we usually speak in private ". The guard answered as his stare turned to Kuroko.

The young slave let out a sigh so discreet that Kagami wouldn't have noticed it if there wasn't a complete silence. He walked past the two men without even acknowledging them and the moment he reached the door, he spoke one last time to Kagami:

\- Don't forget what I told you, please.

The word didn't sound as automatic and polite as he could sometimes make it, it sounded rather genuine.

The door closed and the taller one continued :

"- So, Kagami Taiga, he repeated as he sized up the man in front of him, we've received the order to clear up your situation. 

-... about the imperial guard?

"Exactly, so you already know. Interesting." he paused briefly, then took a sharp breath before asking : " So, which answer should I give, do you accept to join us in the roman guard or not?"

The everlasting lighthearted tone of the guard gave the impression that a reply would be easy to give. Yet in reality, the longuer one pondered it, the harder the decision ; In truth Kagami hadn't properly thought about it since Aomine Daiki had mentionned it, and the whole implication of it hit him right at that moment. As he looked down on the bandages covering one large wound  on his left forearm , results of his fight with the lioness, he started grinning almost darkly. 

" You two, when was the last time you ever felt alive?"

When Kagami lifted his eyes back towards the guard that had spoken, the latter needed only that sight and that question to confirm the answer he got. He reminded him of  _him_.

"You are all really strange sometimes. But now I see why we were sent here" He said as he reached for the back of his helmet and took it off, revealing an impossibly neat blonde hair and vivid, almost feminine eyes of the same color. " But as the saying goes, we imitate the ones we appreciate, no matter what."

Kagami, taken aback by the unexpected face on this tall figure had no time to answer that he was already speaking again :

"So, the upperclass of Rome is holding a party for these Sadiavan guys this evening. There the emperor will be happy to officially welcome you as one of us now." 

He finished with a bright smile and followed his colleague through the door.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * a Patrician is a man of a more elevated class than the usual folks(Plebeians), they usually have more weight in the politics in a city  
> * Windows during that era didn't have the same quality as today, yet they still existed AC
> 
> New chapter, I wanted to highlight more of everyone's motivation here, hope y'all enjoyed it ^^ Sorry for the long wait, two months prior I thought I'd finish this fic during the summer and boy was I wrong ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)  
> Edit : So I started an anime called Banana Fish and *spoilers*  
> Apparently there's one of the main characters, Ash, who has been sexually abused when he was around 10-11 ; I wrote the chapter before discovering BF so I would just like to say that : 1) the age is a coincidence studio MAPPA please don't sue my ass 2) the abuse in my story is not of a sexual nature  
> Thanks for coming to my TEDtalk


	6. Reaching the Sky and the Stones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm just throwing a summary of the Previous chapter because it's been a LONG while : Kagami has won the fight against the lioness that the reprensentative Haizaki had brought, killing her in front of the crowd in the Colosseum. Following that victory, Aomine keeps his promise that himself was looking forward to become a reality ; he will make Kagami a part of the imperial guard.  
> Akashi strongly disagrees with that decision, and during a discussion with Aomine, learns that the latter is a former slave from a foreign city. Not listening to his friend's advice, he send a messenger regardless to inform Kagami that he's been invited to a celebration during which he'll officially be honored as a guard.  
> This chapter follows them juicy events

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So first, I'm so sorry for them weird leak some days ago, the chapter was REALLY not ready and it was an accident I found out some days later, but now it's clean and ready I guess.  
> BUT WAIT since I had issues of rewriting everything with notes and storing in different devices (one at home and the other in my college dorm) and that it's a long ass chapter, this is only half of it :))) (sorry)  
> BUT since I go back to college tomorrow I'll upload the other half tomorrow and y'all have the whole chapter.  
> I know this is kinda chaotic and I'm sorry, but without those devices problem I would have uploaded it all on the same day :/ throw stones I'm ready, but still excited to ulpoad again ^^ enjoy  
> Update : the chapter is now complete \o/

The sun had already completely disappeard behind the mountains, leaving ony the oil lamps to light up the busy streets. The city radiated a vivid energy at night, the voices of its citizens sounded more liberated after twilight. The feeling eventually reached Kagami, as he stepped on that ground as a free man for the first time ; it seemed to him that he was only starting to notice how beautifully built the modest stone houses were, and how the wind of the capital running on his now quite peaceful face became warm and somehow welcoming.

Rome felt a bit like his hometown, a sort of familiarity was setting with each step he took on his way to the temple. But not entirely, since there was something bigger there, something only the gathering of one million souls could create.

He passed next to two magnificient marble statues in front of which over a dozen people were praying. This caused Kagami to stop his stride and to take the time to squint at the bigger one ; the lightning bolt in his hand and the beard on his face, symbol of wisdom and power, were enough visual clues for Kagami to recognize the figure everyone across the empire could describe in their sleep ; a statue of Jupiter, the God of all Gods ruling the order as they knew it.

Beside Jupiter stood a smaller, man sized construction. Kagami couldn't exactly link it to any god he had heard of or read about since the only attributes one could give him were two large, damaged wings behind the man's back and a body that seemed bruised on every inch. Only two little boys stood close to the statue, admiring it humbly with a hint of fear towards the wounded body. As soon as  one of them read out loud the name "Icarius" written on it, they were called by their mother, who urged them not to stand too close to it, with the usually quiet voice of devoted women.

_How many hours have craftsmen spent building these monuments? And what do people see in them that makes everyone so devoted to it, they're only blocks of rock carved into something to worship..._

He eventually resumed walking and stepped in the forum, built right in front of the large temple, visible thanks to all the lamps that seemed to illuminate it from inside out. It was during that moment that he felt the strange sensation of a stare fixated on him ; the uncomfortable feeling made him look around for a bit, until he saw a group of young women sizing him up.

"Girls here are less discreet than at home. Big cities guess." He whispered the quick explanation to himself, trying to ignore how flattered he was beginning to feel. At the other end of the forum stood around fiteen to twenty soldiers securing the entrance and chatting unprofessionally even when Kagami walked towards them. However, as he drew closer, they quickly gained a more appropriate formation.

"Who are you and why do you wish to enter?"

\- Kagami Taiga, from Idacus, he answered casually, I'm here, because I think I've been invited to this...event, thing."

_I may have got that right. Yeah, sure._

One of them sneered. _  
_

_I didn't._

\- Oh, I see ; a foreigner comes to us and wants to get in because  _maybe_ he gas an invitation. Interesting. Very funny at least.

\- Look I was told to come here after my fight yesterday- 

\- And what did your weak ass fight to get your little arm in such a state" another said, trying to impress his peers" a sick kitty on the street?"

Kagami knew two things that didn't go well together, ; his impatience and other people's disrespect. He was ready to step closer to the guard when yet another one appeard behind them.

"A big, big kitty actually, guys." He said with a clear, joyful voice that sounded familiar. "Kagami Taiga, doesn't it ring a bell to you all? The gladiator."

Upon hearing the word, all men froze, the majority of them looking either at thin air or at him with a comtemplative stare that, for whichever reason he couldn't name, gave Kagami a rush of energy and satisfaction. The guards stepped back to let their superior walk towards him.

"We're sorry, Captain, we didn't know it was him, we forgot-

\- His name, even after you've been told twice he would be coming this evening." The said captain remained surprinsingly calm as he answered. " You, Sir, come with me please."

The leader had already started walking back and took his helmet off as "a way to show politness towards guest", he said. Observing him from behind, Kagami recognized the blond hair he'd seen a few hours before. 

"You're the one who came to the hostel?"

\- I sure am.

-...What's your name? You know mine.

\- I'm afraid I can't reveal that information to foreign citizens or to people of the same status. You'll have to wait to get officially honored as a member of our guard first, which you'll be tonight."

A shiver went down his spine as he realized that the man's smile ressembled Kuroko's stare ; both uncanny and unrevealing of their true selves.

As they made their way through the temple, Kagami barely took the time to watch the prestigious ornaments on the walls and the ceiling. Many guests, mainly roman patricians, had already gathered in the main room, a large place at the center of two way thinner hallways. He didn't notice the few stares locked on him neither. Only after a few minutes did they reach the back room.

"Thank the Gods we're on time. Not that he cares that much" he stated apologetically " but I do, manners are important, y'know."

The captain opened the huge doors and Kagami felt a strangely reassuring joy as he saw the now familiar tall figure turn towards them at a dozen feet away.

"Thanks for bringing him here, Kise. You can leave now."

\- And now he knows my name" Kise answered in a falsly disappointed way before exiting the room. " Goodbye, Kagami from Idacus." The latter was still strucked by his lighthearted attitude even in solemn place.

"I like him, he reminds me of the first time time I got in the Palantine house." he told Aomine with a blunt, almost instinctive honesty and a smile that mirrored the emperor's before realizing he forgot the rightful manners.

"I mean, good evening...Sir."

Aomine raised an eyebrow "You forgot for a second?"

\- Yes, sorry I guess." Kagami felt too mentally tired to act socially skilled, but the sight of the other man in a good mood made him him want to try. It was the first time he saw him wearing non-casual clothes, a large red scarf across his torso, above a really well made white toge. The whole outfit fitted him so well that Kagami didn't know whether to feel envious or too admirative for his own good.

"How is your arm?"

\-  The healer says the wound is mainly superficial and that no veins are located in the part where it sinks deeper. Apparently I was really lucky...

\- I see...Aomine responded absently, his stare locked on the limb, that seemed trapped by the bandages. Forcing himself to look away from it, he kept on trying to find a way to to let go of that sight, making a more pleasing thought eventually crossed his mind.

"Yesterday's fight was amazing, you were amazing. And the roman salute after you won that unfair fight... I can't believe you did it.

\- I can't believe it myself...he stepped a bit closer to Aomine without even even noticing it, his memories guiding him as he stared at an imaginary stadium" Sometimes I get some flashbacks of it , they all come in a different order, like a childhood memory. But there's always one sight that keeps coming at the end ; If I remember well, I think it's-

He stopped right there out of the blue and kept staring at Aomine. A strong realization reached him as he forsaw the implications of he wanted to say.

"It's..? Aomine repeated in an uncharacteristic, almost naive way, captivated by the other's words.

"It's... nothing in particular actually., it's really vague" he eventually lied quite painfully. He knew what or rather who had made him feel this powerful during that moment but couldn't bring himself to speak about it. "Let's just say that thanks to it I know where I belong" he looked down at his wounded arm with a sort of strange wonder that took Aomine aback,  however the latter found it better to dismiss it for a feeling of excitment due to the event to come.

"You should probably get ready for the ceremony" he started " you'll get the honor to wear a roman armor, the servants will help you out. We'll start early and and we'll try to make it short...

He let a quick, quite imperciptible fond look at Kagami escape him.

"...But meaningful. You can leave now.

\- Well okay, I'm off then. See you later, Sir."

The word left a bittersweet feeling in Aomine. It was a respectful as it could get from anyone, but the more he heard it coming from Kagami the less he liked its formality.

He eventually sigh at the thought and, as a random attempt to distract himself, glanced towards at a chair on the corner of the room. On that chair lied a three feet sword resting in its sheath*, on which the symbol of the capital, the two little boys Romus and Romulus, were carved.

 

_________________________________________

 

The horns made a simple but impressive melody resonate across the main room, leading all the patricians to turn their gaze towards the marble staires between two large Greek-inspired colums. 

The last sound Aomine perceived before realizing the ceremony had begun was the voice of an unknown young servant announcingwith a loud and clear tone "the Emperor". A few seconds later, he had everyone's attention. Everything felt different from the ceremonies at the Colosseum ; the first and most important thing remained the Plebeians, the real people, who celebrated each event like no other due to its rare nature. Those people were the ones facing the hardship of everyday live, the whims of agriculture, the harshness of the market, and the non-avaibility of politic life that rule every aspect of it. Politics was for Patricians.

And here stood the Patricians, stuffing themselves with imported goods, while the lower people were the ones having the blood one their hands in times of crisis. Born in the right place, at the right time, from the appropriate mothers, them caring about it would even go against their nature. Surprisingly, the thought left him somehow more sad than bitter, however, for good measures, none of these feelings could be shown on his face.

The said thought had haunted him for too long though, since another servant who had cautiously walked towards him had to bring him back to his duty with an incredibly discreet whisper :

"Sir, could you please take the sword?"

When Aomine snapped out of his meditative state, he noticed the same sheath holding the sword he had kept in the back room a few minutes earlier lying on the servant's arms. An incredible emotions similar to pride and awe combined together filled him as he took the dangerous but beautiful weapon in hand.

His trail of thoughts now drifted to Kagami, who would be blessed by the Gods with the said weapon meant to protect him. That idea became a good enough reason to forget the resentment he felt towards towards every spoilt and corrupt souls filling the place, leading him to speak up : 

"Make him come in."

To the left of the ceremony room, two guards opened the large doors connecting the place to a smaller space, meant to be a dressing room. This allowed Kagami to walk in, wearing the traditional imperial armour, holding the solid helmet in his right hand.

The energy he radiated as he made his way towards the stairs seemed otherworldly; Aomine, who once again couldn't help but observe his body language didn't have to try that time. Kagami's steps were slow but impressive , his head was held high and his piercing red eyes stared at anyone he would meet his path but without seeing them really, as if people were standing between him and a sight beyong them.

Kagami eventually reached the bottom of the stairs and stood there, waiting for him to speak :

" What is your patronym?"

"  Kagami Taiga, from Idacus."

Some admirative gasps rose in the crowd when the people heard the name of the mythic town.

"Come upstairs."

Kagami climbed up the stairs before taking a knee in front of him. Although the tradition demanded that the man receiving the blessing looked down, Kagami, probably unaware of that specificity of the capital city, kept looking straight into his eyes. They showed less of his recklessness compared to his first arrival in Rome, that time determination was the main feeling they gave away.

"Do you swear to protect your leader and to shut down your interests for the greater good?

\- I swear it. By the Gods." He answered, unblinking.

Something exciting about that comitment made Aomine pause for a few seconds, as if he needed to let the words resonate all around. With a smooth wrist move, he drew the sword and took the other man's healthy hand before cutting a shirt gash* on his palm, no longer than an inch, but deep enough for  some drops of blood to appear.

"Then I, by Mars, God of protection, and Minerva, Goddess of war, count you as part of my Imperial guard. You can bless the sword."

He was still carefully holding the sword in his hands when Kagami rose to his level and slid his hand across the blade, leaving a dark red trail.

"I bless this empire, this city...

He looked up from the weapon and showed, consciously or not, an appealing yet cheeky grin : 

"...and it's leader."

 

          ________________________________

 

One of the only ways he had found to handle an entire evening surrounded by vain people was to keep calling a servant to fill his cup of wine. For two hours straight, the said servant, for whom he secretly felt sorry, kept going back and forth, holding with caution a jar of the best wine of the district. The very low percentage of alcohol allowed him to remain well even when sitting on his chair, and to him, any activities would've been better than going up and talk with the guests that had forced their way into the party. He had been glancing at the sword lying on a small yet solid wooden table next to him and realized only after a while that Kagami's blood had been washed off it. The observation made the thought of the man himself pop up in his mind yet again.

Kagami was standing quite far, on the other side of the main room, and seemed to have decide to put his regular clothes back on for an comfort reasons undoubtly. He was chatting with curious guests that probably treated him almost like a legend, due to his origins and his accomplishments of the previous day. For a while, Aomine wanted to mock these people because of his to pre-existant resentment, yet part of him couldn't help but align with their opinion and behaviour towards him. Every feature of the foreign man inspired an appeal that even him couldn't fully understand.

 

Everything went quite smoothly until another foreigner approached Kagami, wearing pridefully, above his quite modest toge, a deep blue scarf, main colour of his flag: Haizaki had arrived. It was only then that Aomine rose from his seat to cross the room and join them.

"Your Highness" Haizaki said casually, his eyes showing such a scornful spite that even the slight dizziness from the drinks couldn't hide it from Aomine. " I was telling your fighter how... impressed I was to see him win yesterday."

\- He's not a gladiator anymore, he's part of my guard now" he stated defensively, his eyes not leaving the sadavian man.

\- Yeah, so I heard...he has the ability for the role though. When was the first time you killed a man? 

Aomine could feel Kagami tense up next him due to the sinister nature of the question, but he ended up answering reluctancly   :

\- I was fifteen. To defend my mother from...harm."

There was a short lapse of time, not even three seconds long, during which the physionomy of Haizaki's face had completely changed, as if he genuiely hadn't expected that response.

"Men are monsters sometimes..." he stated as he looked away with a meditative stare " and I'm not talking about you." 

He turned his gaze towards Aomine and his the tone his voice became undescridable. 

"After all, parents are often all we have."

Aomine could see that Kagami didn't understand the innuendo of that statement, but as for himself, he decided to try and forget it as soon as he heard it.

"Very well then!" Haizaki continued with a now falsly cheerful voice " I guees I'll see you tomorrow for the council, your Highness. Now if you'll excuse me, there are some curvy and charming servants around here who deserve to be treated like real ladies tonight..."

He left abruptly, and found at a disturbingly high speed a group of young women who were taking a break.

\- I wanted to ask how he got that scar on his face, but it felt kinda inappropriate..." admitted Kagami

\- You 're right..." he responded, his eyes not leaving Haizaki's general direction, before snapping out of his thoughts " Come, now that we're here I might as  well show you the view we have from the balcony. Want something to drink?"

\- No thanks, I think I've had enough with all the people inviting me to drink tonight..

Before they even stepped on the balcony, the nice fresh air from the night ran on Aomine's skin and made him forget about all the pointless ramblings going on behind them. He suddenly felt the need to share the feeling.

\- This place is great, the decorations in every room of the temple inspired by the Greeks, those people were really ahead of their time.

Kagami stood close to the edge of the balcony and managed to see, with some difficulty, the place where the statues from a few hours before were set.

\- One my way here I came across two statues, one was Jupiter but I couldn't recognize the other...the name was "Icarius".

\-  I can tell you his legend, that too is from Greece : the king Minos locked both Icarius and his father Deadalus in a maze for not respecting his orders, so Deadalus built artificial wings made of fallen feathers so that at least his son could escape. But he warned Icarius ; he had to be careful and not fly too close to the sun.

"Icarius then left the maze and flew away, but the feeling of roaming and the warmth of the sky being so great, he ended up trying to get as close to the sun as he could."

\- What happend to him? Kagami asked promptly, impatiently waiting to know.

\- He got so close that his wings caught fire and burnt, leading Icarius to fall down and drown in the sea. A close friend of mine told me this story when I first passed by the statue, and I think it's an amazing one."

\- True, though the outcome is tragic.

Aomine sneered :

"Tragic? No... it's sad, but it's not tragic."

\- How come?

\- It's sad because he died trying, but if his wings had been more solid, or if he had found another way to take off, he could've flown even beyond the sun. I believe we'll be able to go reach that sun one day, or a least to go over the clouds, there's no God against that."  He stated as he looked towards the sky "It's the same for you, Kagami, you could've died yesterday but you didn't." 

The moment he realized that he had spoken those words in a soft, even grateful tone, he looked away from the other man before adding : 

"- Anyway, I talk too much when I drink."

\- No, no, I recognize a drunk man when I see one and that is not your case right now" Kagami teased lightly, his cheeks distorted by a large smile." That's simply what my grandmother used to call "talking with one's soul". She knew how long those speech could be, but they are always authentic."

Aomine hesitated to keep talking about that topic, but he was reminded of something out of the blue :

"Speaking of authenticity, I have a gift for you ; take it as a reward for yesterday."

He took a few steps inside, ordered a servant to bring the sheath and presented it to Kagami.

" It's an impressive sword" he started, his red eyes shining brighter at the sight of the object, "the sheath has a complex design and..."

He drew a few inches of the blade off: 

" Double-edge...pure white steel..."

He looked up as he realized it,

"That's the sword I was honored with?"

\- Yeah, it used to be mine, but I don't really use it anymore. " Aomine responded vaguely.

\- I see... it's really good quality, thank you." He said as he was carefully holding the blade.

Aomine watched him silently admiring the weapon before feeling the need to give details :

"And you know, the sheath is roman, but the-" 

At the same, the sound of a scream and a fallen object came from the main room. He rushed inside, followed closely by Kagami, but was met by a crowd of guests who had gathered around a central point. As people stepped aside to let him walk through the noisy  mass, he suddenly stopped his stride. His stare landed on the servant who dropped a plate, then on Haizaki in a state of shock kneeling in front of someone lying down. Everything began to feel surreal to Aomine when he looked down at the man who had fallen on the ground. He wore a toge with a blue scarf, the same as Haizaki.

"Oh, no." An almost desperate whisper left him.

He and everyone in the room were looking at a corpse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all will not know the TROUBLE that the re-writing part was x) but I managed to do it and I'm so happy, thanks for your understanding. Hope you enjoyed o/  
> As always, if there are mistakes, please tell, my mother tongue is not English but I'm trying  
> Also tell me what you like, dislike and what i can change to get better  
> *A sheath is a like a long, solid pocket that has the form of a sword and that is designed to carry it. Think of these cool samurai movies where the guy is putting back the katana in its sheath after killing someone with amazing class  
> *A gash is a cut, a very little non-life threatening wound


End file.
